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Peach County delays school start date, modifies plan
BY KRISTI WATKINS
The Byron Buzz
Parents attended the Peach
County Board of Education meeting
on Tuesday, July 14th with many
parents speaking to the board about
their concerns against the hybrid
model in person schooling for
students.
The hybrid model would have
students split to have two days in
school with two days of distance
learning.
Superintendent Dr. Lionel Brown
addressed the parents and staff in
the auditorium stating he had good
conversations with good valued
concerns on both sides. He added
he can’t please everyone and while
working with limited resources, do
what is best for the children to keep
them safe by decreasing the num
ber in the classrooms.
The board approved to delay the
start of school until August 27th
with teachers to still report on July
27th.
Dr. Brown stated the school
system was not ready for closure in
March when the outbreak began,
but they will be ready if the state
decides to close in the future.
Chairman B. J. Walker stated
although they do not respond on
social media, they do pay attention
to those concerns online. He stated
the decision is weighing heavy on
their hearts and will do what is best
for the children.
Leslie Carroll who spoke first
stated she was speaking for many
in the school system that she had
polled on social media. She stated
she was confused on why the school
system chose the Remind app to
connect with parents for the survey
when some parents do not have the
app or turn it off during the sum
mer months.
Carroll stated she is an advocate
for many parents requesting a third
option with 100% in person (5
days) or 100% online stating three
options would be good.
Carroll also added for those
students who had working parents
who were going to have to pay for
childcare and would also increase
the chance of the children getting
exposed to the virus. She stated
for single parents and transient
parents, trying to get childcare is
not an option. Not only childcare as
a projected cost for parents, but the
cost of adding devices with parents
who have more than one child in
the home.
Carroll stated this will absolutely
affect the children for the rest of
their lives especially those who have
special needs, IEP students, and the
abused and neglected.
She stated her children did not
learn anything new after the closure
in March which leaves the children
behind in the state.
Many other concerns mentioned
were: parents with multiple chil
dren - the confusion of A and B
schedules for those students in the
same household and if they are on
same days; homes without internet
service and lack of service potential
(having babysitters to take them to
Wi-Fi spots and sit in the vehicle
for hours to do school work).
Pat Partridge, a teacher, gave the
board facts on other countries such
as Iceland, Netherlands and Ireland
sending their children back to
school full time. Those students had
0 (zero) cases of transmission with
Germany stating children should go
back to school since the A symp
tomatic are not transferring the
virus. Her concerns were more with
tuberculosis since it is on the rise.
She ended by stating the chil
dren need to be in school five days
a week because they will be at a
greater risk and further behind.
She gave an example of one student
who had a 68 average before the
closure and did not complete any
assignments after to increase his/
her grade.
Mayor Barbara Williams advo
cated for the five day school week
where the school system should
educate the students on the CDC
guidelines with hand washing and
hygiene. She stated with 42 years
of teaching, she pleaded with the
board to have 100% in person
schooling since it is the best way for
learning.
Steven Greenfeld asked the board
if temperatures were going to be
taken, with Walker stating they
have not decided yet. He asked if
a student tests positive what the
procedure would be with Walker
stating letters will be sent out but
there will be no quarantine.
Jonathan Cox had concerns over
the hybrid model with students
where primary language is a second
language and those students who
need speech therapy. He also added
that children need routine and
that helps develop long term goals
whereas with the hybrid model,
children will only learn to have
short tern goals.
In a called meeting on Thursday,
July 16th, not one parent addressed
the board anticipating the decision
of the board.
Dr. Brown stated he is adamant
about having in person schooling
for children although virtual is a
good tool. The children have been
out of school for 5 V2 months and
this plan allows to be flexible and
will be able to transition faster.
When asked by the Byron Buzz
on what are the plans for the school
system to help the students who do
not have internet, Dr. Brown stated
the school system will be working
with those students by giving them
hard copies especially those in
Pre-K through 2nd grade or work
from the teacher to print out.
“I am proud of our teachers, our
Special Education teachers, they
requested more face to face time.
Not just because of the legal aspect
, but because of the need of the
child. I believe the children than
need more support that is where
most of our resources need to go
and, of course, that is our special
ed. Department,” said Dr. Brown.
He stated the special ed. and IEP’s
along with the Pre-K -2nd grade
are the ones that need to be the
first to have more face to face time
in school because it is a proven fact
those children need one-on-one
instruction.
Walker stated they will not know
if they are making the right decision
and will not make everyone hap
py. He stated he talked with each
and every board member and Dr.
Brown to hear their thoughts. He
added that if and how the numbers
change is how the timeline will
change.
There will be three phases of the
Hybrid Model. The timeline or the
2020-2021 School Plan approved
by the board is as follows.
Beginning August 27 through
September 25, the following in
structional methods will be imple
mented:
Hybrid Model Phase I (includes
In-Person Instruction and Distance
Learning)
- Students will attend on an A/B
Schedule.
- Students in Group A will attend
In-Person Instruction on Monday
and Tuesday and Distance Learning
on Thursday and Friday.
- Students in Group B will receive
Distance Learning on Monday and
Tuesday and In-Person Instruction
on Thursday and Friday.
- Wednesdays will be cleaning,
Teacher Collaboration and Distance
Learning, as needed.
Beginning September 28
through December 18, the follow
ing instructional methods will be
implemented:
Hybrid Model Phase II (includes
In-Person Instruction and Distance
Learning)
- Students will attend In-Person
Instruction for four (4) days, Tues
day through Friday.
- Students will attend Distance
Learning on Mondays.
Beginning January 5, the follow
ing instructional method will be
implemented:
Traditional Model Phase III
- Traditional Five-Day In-Person
Instruction
The option for 100% Distance
Learning is available to students for
the entire school year.
- Commitments will be for a
minimum of a grading period for
elementary students and a semester
for middle and high school stu
dents.
- Parents will be responsible for
providing a device and internet
service.
- Students will not be allowed to
participate in after school extracur
ricular activities to include sports,
band, clubs, and CTAE (Career,
Technical, and Agricultural Educa
tion) during that time.
Partnership formed for new
Criminal Justice Club at PCHS
Fort Valley Department of Public Safety has partnered with Peach County
High School and their new Criminal Justice Club. Lt. Kevin Sparks, retired,
has been selected to head up that program. Lt. Sparks retired as a Lieutenant
from FVPC and is a 1987 graduate of Peach County High School. He is a
graduate of the Law
Enforcement Train
ing Center of Middle
Georgia and holds a
POST Supervisory
Certification and a
Field Training Officer
Standards and Train
ing Council. During
his career, Sparks has
served in different areas
within the Uniformed
Patrol Divisions, includ-
^ ing conducting traffic
enforcement, tactical
operations and K-9.
He retired from law
enforcement in 2017
as a Sergeant with the
Georgia Ports Authority
Police Department. A
graduate of Columbia
Southern University
with a B. S. in Criminal
Justice Administrations
and is also a graduate of
American Military Uni
versity with a M.A in
Security Management.
He is a past president
and vice president of
the Middle Georgia
Fraternal Order of
Police lodge. He joined
ASIS International in
2013 and in August of
2014, was accepted as
a volunteer member
of the Physical Secu
rity Council where he
co-chairs the Chapter
and Council Liaison
Committee.
L~v
J
Lt. Kevin Sparks
Kevin has volunteered at the local chapter level as Membership Chair and
Chapter Vice Chair of the Savannah/Low Country Chapter. Kevin is the
founder and past Chapter Chair of the Southeast Georgia Chapter of ASIS.
Kevin and his wife Kerry are the proud parents of three daughters, Meigan
Cribbs, Brianna and Lindsey Sparks.
PCSO investigating possible animal cruelty
BY VICTORIA SIMMONS
The Byron Buzz
The Peach County Sheriffs Office
has been investigating a possible
animal cruelty case since July 5th.
As of Friday, July 17, the depart
ment had met with the district
attorney’s office and department
of agriculture investigator and are
now waiting to hear back from
them before going further with the
case.
Tammy Knowland of Peach Coun
ty Animal Rescue said she was
called to Plant Street to take two
dogs to an amergency shelter to be
checked out. According to Know-
land, a sergeant called her saying
they had a house fire and there
were dogs there but no owner to be
found at the abandoned property.
She was asked to come help.
They ended up taking 10 dogs
from the property many with hair
loss, sores, and other injuries.
Knowland said the living condi
tions were filthy and a vet found
some to be malnourished.
Originally, the sheriffs office
asked her to return the dogs to
the owner, but she refused, saying
animal rescue has to be the voice
for the voiceless.
Knowland then went straight
to Sheriff Terry Deese with her
concerns. Wednesday of that week.
The sheriff met with her to check
the property and after seeing the
dogs, an investigation was opened.
“We’re investigating that it’s
cruelty to animals,” Sheriff Deese
said. He reached out to the district
attorney’s office about possible
charges against the owner of the
dogs.
Peach County, as of now, does not
have an animal control facility but
they are working on it. Plans call
for the building to be located next
to the law enforcement center.
Ferguson commits to University of Alabama
T.J. Ferguson, a
graduate of Peach
County High School
has signed letters
of commitment to
play football for
the University of
Alabama Crimson
Tide. Ferguson is a
6 ft. 4 290-pound,
offensive lineman
and was the 11th
ESPN 300 pros
pect to commit to
Alabama since May.
His choices were
Alabama, Florida
State and Georgia.
Ferguson said a
personal touch from
Coach Nick Saban is
what put the Crim
son Tide at the top
of the list. Saban
scheduled a video
talk almost every
week with Ferguson
beginning in March.
He is the son of Ter
rence and Kimberly
Ferguson.